by Cass Lennox
“When I packed him,” she said quietly, “I wasn’t sure how today was going to go. But seeing how we’re here and we’re okay, I think a picture with you two is well overdue.”
He grinned. Damn right, Vaughn wasn’t the only guy who’d feature in her holiday pics. “Would it be better in the dance studio?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Yes, and I’ll get one there too. But playing truant in the park is fun, and I want to remember it.” She thrust Godzilla into his hands and held up the camera. “Smile.”
He immediately pulled a scowl and made a faux gang sign. “How’s this?”
Her mouth curved under the camera. “Well wicked, bruv, innit.” She took the picture. “How about a smile, smart-arse?”
Their phones started ringing, and Tyler raised his eyebrows at her. “I won’t answer it if you won—” She took another picture. “Hey!” He reached for the camera, and she snapped another, cackling. She darted away.
Oh. It was on.
He dropped Godzilla to chase her. Evie ran in a small circuit, jumping around their bags and doubling back around the trees, continually twisting out of reach. Eventually, he caught up and managed to tackle her to the ground, making her squirm deliciously under him.
“Camera,” he panted.
“Never!”
They wrestled for the camera until Tyler wrenched it from her. He rolled to his knees and held it above him. “Come on, Evie,” he taunted. “It’s right here.”
She arched an eyebrow and stood. He quickly stood too, keeping the camera out of reach. Evie muttered murderously and tried to jump for it, stretching over him on tiptoes, her face inches from his.
“Not fair,” she said as he bent backwards away from her, lending him greater distance from her grasping fingers.
“I know.” His free arm wound around her waist and her eyes widened. He kissed her, a sweet brush of lips, as he pulled her close. When he opened his eyes, she gazed back at him in total delight. “Was that okay?” he asked.
“Fuck yes.” Her hands took his face and brought him forward into a deeper kiss, one that had him winding both his arms tightly around her so he could feel her warm body against his. Her mouth sent shocks to the soles of his feet. Yes. They held each other, their phones chirruping and the camera forgotten in his fist and their clothes covered in grass. She tasted of salt and the lightest dregs of lingering sweetness from the iced tea. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and he moaned, one arm snaking up her back to her neck.
The kiss ended, and he leaned back slightly to drink her in. Her lips were slightly reddened and her hair was falling out of its customary braid. He swept a few strands from her face, not trusting himself to speak.
“That,” she breathed, “was stupendous.”
Hearing that in an English accent somehow made it truer. He kissed her lightly. “Good.”
Her thumb ran along his jaw and her eyelids lowered. “I take it this means you’re done thinking about it.”
“Nothing to think about.”
She rolled her eyes and gently shoved at his shoulder. Tyler knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he couldn’t seem to stop.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” she admitted, her palms warm on his shoulders. His brain stuttered over that for a few seconds. “But there is one problem.”
Ice shot through his stomach. She looked really serious. What did that—
“How are we going to finish this routine now?” Her fingers trailed the side of his jaw, coming to a rest on his lips. “I want to spend this time making out with you.”
He kissed her fingers. “I hear that, believe me. But you’re right.” His arms loosened around her. “We have work to do.”
“So much work. I keep messing up my solo.” She pressed her mouth to his, then kissed a line from his mouth to the spot below his ear. A lingering press of lips that had him shivering and tightening his grip around her once more.
Their phones rang again, and they reluctantly let go to retrieve them.
“I’ve got seven messages and a few missed calls from Brock on WhatsApp,” Evie reported.
“Ten missed calls and three texts from Katie, five calls and two texts from Brock, and one text from Gigi.” Unbelievable. Tyler stopped scanning the call log and checked the texts.
Katie: Where are you?
Katie: Srsly. Where are you two?
Katie: Please tell us where you are. You signed a release form and agreed to us filming you. This is highly unprofessional and I expected better from you.
Brock: Dude, you guys okay? Are you together? Text back that you’re okay.
Brock: Omg Katie is so pissed
Gigi: Just tell me you and Evie are alive and somewhere close by I want CERTAIN PEOPLE to leave me the fuck alone
Evie must have received similar messages. “They seem a tad put out.” She didn’t sound particularly upset about it.
Tyler shared the sentiment. “I’ll call Gigi.”
Gigi picked up on the second ring. “Holy motherfucking shit.”
Tyler could hear piano music in the background. “Are you in class?”
“Yeah, asshole, I’m in class. I have Brock eyeing me through the fucking door every ten minutes because he wants to know where you and Evie are.” Gigi didn’t sound happy. “Like, fuck if I know. Or care.”
“Good. Tell him we called, and we’re just . . .” he glanced at Evie, who blinked back innocently “. . . practising elsewhere today.”
“Jesus. Katie’s going to shove her gum in my eyeball.”
“Your problem. And talk to Brock already.”
“Fuck you, man. I gotta go; I need to nail these fouettés.”
“Bye.”
He hung up. They gazed at their phones in collective awe and disbelief for a few moments, then Evie tossed hers into her bag. She sashayed up to him, blue gaze fixing him in place. “Let’s make the drama worth it.”
While he had plenty of ideas about just how to do that—mostly involving her against a tree or pinned beneath him—he settled for the one that wouldn’t get them kicked out of the park for indecency. Tyler put his phone away and took her hands in his, counted out the beat, and they fell back into the dance. To his relief, Tyler found he could separate the two. He could still be the teacher with her, correcting and analysing both of them as they practised, without any worry about criticism affecting the chemistry. Besides, the moves were way too quick to consider fooling around beyond the odd poke and wink.
Despite what she’d said about making out, Evie didn’t seem focused on flirting with him either. She was concentrating too much on getting the moves right and up to speed. Yup, business remained business, so Tyler let himself relax.
Even so, their connection still resonated with each touch and step. They snapped together perfectly, their energy flowing and sizzling in the spaces between them. And their character acting was laced with smiles and the odd flicker of fingers against wrist and arm. It was like the edges between him and his character blurred, and he really didn’t mind.
When evening stretched over the park, and people hurried through rather than strolling, they slowed down. The partnered section turned into a slow, intimate dance. Evie rested her cheek on his shoulder as they turned in gentle circles. His arm wrapped her waist loosely and he held her hand against his chest. Against one of his scars, not that she could see it through his shirt. He felt her warm breath against his neck.
“I’m enjoying this,” she said.
“Me too.”
“Can I, um, break the mood a little?” she asked softly.
His stomach somersaulted.
“What is this?”
“You’re leaving soon,” he said.
She sighed against his neck. “Yes, that’s true.”
“So we could call this—” he played with the ends of her braid “—short but sweet?”
“Mmm. Fast and loose?”
“Fun?”
“Star-crossed, but without th
e cancer or gang warfare.”
He huffed in amusement. “Intense.”
“It’s definitely that.” She raised her head to look at him. “Remember, whatever capacity you’ll have me.”
He swallowed. “Casual?”
“Casual?” Her brow furrowed, then cleared. “Yes. That works.”
He relaxed. He hadn’t realized he’d been tense.
“As long as that doesn’t extend to nights.”
He met her gaze. She was serious. “Nights?” Sex, Tyler. She means sex. The thought of sleeping with her caused a pleasant, achy rush.
“I like what I like,” and now she was the one getting all tense, “but that doesn’t include casual sex.”
She didn’t like casual hookups. So she wasn’t interested in sleeping with him. Wait, was that what she was saying? That didn’t feel like what she was saying. Shit, he was taking too long to figure this out—she looked nervous.
“I mean,” she added when he didn’t reply, “it’s not about you, because you’re clearly gorgeous and attractive, and I definitely see that. It’s just that for me, the way I am, sex isn’t that big a deal unless the person I have it with is a big deal.” She closed her eyes, clearly mortified. “That’s not— What I mean is . . . What I’m trying and failing to say is that for me, it doesn’t make sense to sleep with someone unless there are mutual serious feelings there. Because I . . . Well, sex isn’t a priority for me. At all. So I don’t sleep with anyone unless they’re really important to me, and I’m important to them, and they need sex to happen to show that. And we just said this is casual.”
Ah. Tyler was back on board.
“If we took this any further,” she started fidgeting, “it wouldn’t be . . . good. Or fun. For me. That’s not to say I think casual sex is bad,” she went on in a rush, backing away from him slightly. “Not at all, really; it just doesn’t work for me, and God will you please say—”
“That’s cool.” He gathered her back in close to him.
“R-really?”
“Yes.”
She sagged against him as Tyler’s mind raced. The idea of not taking this further was disappointing, yeah, but surprisingly freeing too. The line was there, clear and defined.
And if he was honest with himself, sex wasn’t exactly a top priority for him either. It hadn’t been for a while. Getting his head together, going back into the dating scene, feeling okay to flirt and trust again; that was more important. Maybe keeping things simple with Evie was the ideal way to ease himself back into dating. She was leaving in six days. Why complicate things? Especially when he had no idea how she’d handle him sexually anyway. Her leaving soon like this, it wasn’t even a concern. Lucette had never exactly . . .
Get Lucette out of your head now.
“Thank you,” she said. “Sometimes people aren’t okay with that.”
And that just made him angry. Because clearly someone in her past hadn’t been all right with her wanting to essentially take things slowly. He knew exactly what it felt like when someone refused to respect a boundary. Honestly, “thank you”? For something like that? Please.
He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “I’m happy to make out with you, touch you, dance with you, flirt with you, eat lunch with you, and talk with you. Spending time with you is one of the nicest things I’ve done in a long time.”
“I’m sure you say that to all the girls.” Her voice caught a little.
He grinned. “Only the ones who buy me lunch.”
“We’re okay with this for the next few days?” Her free hand ran lightly along his shoulder blade. “Really?”
If she kept touching him like that, they’d be good for a lot longer than the next few days. “Yeah. We are. Really.” He turned his head so he could kiss her again, revelling in how easy and sweet it was.
Phones rang, signalling other responsibilities and people who needed them, and they pulled apart reluctantly.
Evie sighed. “I’m meeting Sarah for drinks.”
“I have a class to teach.”
Her fingers ran along his hairline. “You work so hard.”
He shrugged. “Gotta hustle.”
Her phone chimed again. She grunted in frustration, kissed him fiercely, then let him go to pick up her bag. He collected his gear, and they walked to the park entrance holding hands. He’d shoved his phone into his pocket but didn’t check it, not just yet. Reality could wait a little longer.
The route back to the subway was slightly different coming from the park, so Tyler led her there and said good-bye. She hugged him tightly, kissed him hard, then ran into the subway station. Tyler spun around, ecstatic—because goddamn, it had been so long since he’d felt this happy—and found himself facing a surprised Jean and Derek.
“Oh.” He cut the spin short. “Hey.”
“Well hey there, Tyler.” A massive grin split Derek’s face. “How’re you doing?”
Never you mind, Derek. “Fine.”
“How’s Evie?”
Tyler could feel himself blushing. “Also fine.”
Derek nodded. “Sure looked like she was fine.” Jean smacked him lightly in the arm. “I mean, uh, how’s practice?”
“We’re getting there.” Man, this was embarrassing. What were they even doing here? Seeing them outside the school at this time of the evening was unusual; at least one of them tended to hang around until closing time. “Uh, going home early?”
“Date night,” Jean said.
“Plus, we’re getting away from Katie,” Derek said in a stage whisper. “Something seriously jerked her crank today.”
You don’t say. “She’s still there?”
“Carmen and Claude are practising late tonight.”
“If you have class,” Jean said, “I’d go now while they’re busy.”
“Got it.” Loud and clear. He began moving around them. “Have a good night.”
“You too.” Derek waggled his eyebrows, earning him another light smack.
On the way to the school, Tyler received a call from Gigi. Hoping he wasn’t still mad, Tyler sent up a prayer to the friendship gods and swiped to accept.
“Hey, Gi.”
“You asshole.”
Apparently the gods weren’t listening. Tyler shifted his bag to his other shoulder. “I have a class in like five minutes.”
“No. You have a class when I’m done talking to you.” He could just picture Gigi doing his angry queen finger waggle. “I am trying to keep the hell away from Brock, and you’re not helping. It’s like you don’t even care that he’s trying to talk to me. Running off with your English crumpet for an afternoon—what were you thinking?”
Tyler blinked. “Don’t call her that.”
“Show up tomorrow and distract the bastard, okay? I can’t keep shoving Mark between me and the camera. I think he’s starting to suspect something. He’s not as stupid as he looks, you know? Plus, his girlfriend showed up at practice today and they were cooing at each other. I can’t deal with that.”
“With other people being happy?”
The pause implied either a death glare or hair-tugging. “No. Other people being vomit-inducingly happy. I need to shower off the hetero love vibes. Practise at school tomorrow or I swear to God, I’m going to steal your Gatorade for a week. He kept talking to me, and I didn’t sign up for my stupid high school mistake to talk to me about things I can’t brush off.”
“Jesus, Gigi, calm down.” He was at the door now. “How about not brushing him off at all and fucking talking to him? All of this is unnecessary.”
“You know what’s unnecessary? Increasing my stress by playing hooky!” A loud sigh in his ear made Tyler jerk the phone away. “Not that I don’t get it. Don’t worry, man, she hasn’t mentioned Vaughn once. Like, she uploaded some pictures of him on Facebook, and they’re Facebook friends now, but I don’t think it’s more than that because his relationship status is set to ‘it’s complicated’ with someone called ‘Baroque,’ whic
h could mean anything frankly but sort of seems gay to me. You’re in the clear, so don’t mess it up.”
Tyler’s head reeled. “You’re Facebook friends with her?”
“Focus. You gotta remember the bigger picture. I got your back. Because us, Ty? We’re friends. Friends help each other out.”
“Not by threatening Gatorade supplies, they don’t. And this has nothing to do with Vaughn.”
“Sure. Be a friend and practise in school. Okay, good talk. Go teach.” He hung up. Tyler stared at his phone in confusion. Since when was Gigi so concerned about him and Evie? And since when had Gigi and Evie been Facebook friends? What the hell was going on? Why hadn’t she added him on Facebook?
He strode into the school and ran through the corridors to his class. Just before he arrived, he closed his eyes and reminded himself of Evie’s face as she said, point-blank and with complete openness, “I like you.” Then the feel of her hands on him, the taste of her mouth, the flash of her eyes as she teased him.
Facebook be damned, he had the real thing.
And Evie definitely wasn’t into Vaughn.
He walked into the practice room with a grin on his face.
Evie eyed the spread of food before her. Oh sweet delicious bounties from heaven, if this was a Canadian brunch, then yes, her country was doing it wrong. She took a picture of Godzilla next to the pancakes, then pulled him off the table. Sarah waited until he was safely stowed before digging into her bacon. As well as the pancakes, there was a jug of maple syrup, eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and French toast. Coffee and orange juice perched on her right. Evie was glad her dance session was in the afternoon, because the rest of the morning would have to be spent lying down digesting all this. She didn’t know how Sarah was going to function at her job this afternoon.
“Amazing,” she moaned, taking a mouthful of the French toast.
“I know, right?” Sarah snapped a picture on her phone and tapped at her screen. “Not a lumberjack breakfast, but close enough, eh.”
Evie’s phone buzzed. She checked it to see Gigi had messaged her on Facebook. “You sent that picture to Gigi? He’s mad we left him out.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “Wow, that was quick.”